Did this nurse behave unethically?

[subee]

What do nurses think about this nurse reporting on this patient who was indicted  for manslaughter? She was eventually exonerated on charges.   I think she should be reported to the Ohio BON for a violation of patient privacy.  

[floydnightingale]

hppygr8ful said:

It was not the spontaneous Abortion that was specifically mentioned in the article. zit was the way she handled the products of conceptiion.

Which begs the question, what is one supposed to do with a fetus which spontaneously aborted at home? I know that hospitals have protocols but absent complications at home like bleeding or unusual pain which dictate a visit to an ER, what's wrong with putting it in the trash or flushing it?

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

floydnightingale said:

Which begs the question, what is one supposed to do with a fetus which spontaneously aborted at home? I know that hospitals have protocols but absent complications at home like bleeding or unusual pain which dictate a visit to an ER, what's wrong with putting it in the trash or flushing it?

Fortunately I've not had to deal with this situation before. However it is sometimes necessary to view the products of conception to determin if there was any thing retained. This can cause sepsis.

Hppy

[floydnightingale]

hppygr8ful said:

Fortunately I've not had to deal with this situation before. However it is sometimes necessary to view the products of conception to determin if there was any thing retained. This can cause sepsis.

Hppy

sepsis is a medical issue, not something to prosecute people for

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

darnold38 said:

I think risk management, the doctors and the nurse involved need training on the difference between miscarriage and abortion. I think all involved were being very obtuse. A woman has a miscarriage and she's arrested?? What was she supposed to do to stop the miscarriage, slap her legs together and stand on her head? I swear, health care today is becoming a bigger joke by the day. 

I was stunned once when a surgical RN refused to participate in a D & C for a missed AB with bleeding.  It didn't dawn on me until then that a nursing so-called professional didn't know the difference.  Now the whole world knows that doctors can't tell the difference either.  This woman wasn't arrested for a missed AB but for mutilating a coprse (she was not charged).  Somehow a nurse thought it was appropriate to report her to the authorities when it was his or her ER preventing the woman  having any treatment whle they were deciding if the doctor would or would not  be arrested for giving the woman her D & C. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

floydnightingale said:

sepsis is a medical issue, not something to prosecute people for

 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

floydnightingale said:

sepsis is a medical issue, not something to prosecute people for

This case is about mishanding a body which is not allowed in any state. We had a similar case years back when a 19 Y/O woman who miscarried her twins. She placed the babies in a detergent box and placed then at the curb as it was trash day. The trash collectorb thought the box seemed heavier than it should be and opened the box.  She did get charged with the above and was succefully prosecuted.

 This is one of the most liberal states.

Hppy

[toomuchbaloney]

hppygr8ful said:

This case is about mishanding a body which is not allowed in any state. We had a similar case years back when a 19 Y/O woman who miscarried her twins. She placed the babies in a detergent box and placed then at the curb as it was trash day. The trash collectorb thought the box seemed heavier than it should be and opened the box.  She did get charged with the above and was succefully prosecuted.

 This is one of the most liberal states.

Hppy

What a tragic story.  In my view, it is evidence of how little support pregnant women enjoy in the USA, even in "liberal" states.  

Do you know if the woman was also held responsible for the cost to dispose of the remains? 

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

subee said:

I was stunned once when a surgical RN refused to participate in a D & C for a missed AB with bleeding.  It didn't dawn on me until then that a nursing so-called professional didn't know the difference.  Now the whole world knows that doctors can't tell the difference either.  This woman wasn't arrested for a missed AB but for mutilating a coprse (she was not charged).  Somehow a nurse thought it was appropriate to report her to the authorities when it was his or her ER preventing the woman  having any treatment whle they were deciding if the doctor would or would not  be arrested for giving the woman her D & C. 

I wanted to add that the patient in the above story arrived in mast trousers and this RN still refused to participate in her interpretation of an abortion.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

toomuchbaloney said:

What a tragic story.  In my view, it is evidence of how little support pregnant women enjoy in the USA, even in "liberal" states.  

Do you know if the woman was also held responsible for the cost to dispose of the remains? 

I do not know. What I did learn at the time was that woman was using meth which was the possible cause of the fetal demise. She was considered a high flight risk and was kept in the count jain until trial, was sentenced to 18 months after time served. She went thought a rehab program and is now clean a sober.

Hppy

[toomuchbaloney]

hppygr8ful said:

I do not know. What I did learn at the time was that woman was using meth which was the possible cause of the fetal demise. She was considered a high flight risk and was kept in the count jain until trial, was sentenced to 18 months after time served. She went thought a rehab program and is now clean a sober.

Hppy

Thank you for that update. 

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

chare said:

As she was arrested for felony abuse of a corpse, not trying to obtain an abortion.   

Its the fact that this occured should horrify any human being. 

As for flushing it down the loo. At that point what was she supposed to do, put the remains in a box and take it to her local hospital?

[toomuchbaloney]

Tenebrae said:

Its the fact that this occured should horrify any human being. 

As for flushing it down the loo. At that point what was she supposed to do, put the remains in a box and take it to her local hospital?

I think according to the zealots, she's supposed to pay for a funeral.